OSHA's 2015 Top Ten Safety Violations

When OSHA was created 43 years ago, it was estimated that 14,000 workers were killed on the job every year. In 2014 alone there were 4,251 worker fatalities with one out of every five deaths being in the construction industry.

The National Safety Council (NSC) president and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman announced OSHA’s top 10 most cited safety violations at the NSC Congress and Expo. Although the hazard categories don’t change a lot from year to year, the rankings are almost always different.

#1 - Fall Protection: With a total of 6,721 violations issued in NSC’s 2015 fiscal year, this category, 1926.501, saw the largest increase with 578 more violations in 2015 than in 2014.

#2 - Hazard Communication: A total of 5,192 violations were issued in this category, 1910.1200, in 2015. Although it is still the second highest safety violation, there were actually 31 less violations compared to previous years.

#3 – Scaffolding: 4,295 violations were issued in this category, 1926.451, not including citations involving aerial lifts. This category saw an increase of 266 violations over 2014.

#4 – Respiratory Protection: Across all industries there were a total of 3,305 violations issued in this category, 1910.134, an additional 82 violations compared to last year.

#5 – Lockout Tagout: This vitally important category, 1910.147, saw the second highest increase in violations with 298 more incidents in 2015 than in 2014.

#6 – Powered Industrial Trucks: From forklifts and tractors to aerial platforms to motorized hand trucks, this category, 1910.178, saw a total of 2,760 violations an increase of nearly 100.

#7 – Ladders: There were a total of 4,489 ladder related violations in 2015 at plants and facilities to all types of construction sites. This is a very minor increase of 41 from 2014’s violations regarding section 1926.1053.

#8 – Electrical Wiring Methods: This category, 1910.305, dropped one place on this list in 2015 with 86 fewer violations. However, there were still 2,404 violations issued in this category last year.

#9 – Machine Guarding: With 2,295 violations, this category, 1910.212, saw an increase of 95 violations in 2015. OSHA regulation 1910.212 requires one or more methods of machine guarding on equipment.

#10 – General Electrical Requirements: This category, 1910.303, focuses on the installation and use of electrical conductors and equipment. It saw a total of 1,973 violations which is 83 fewer than 2014, this category saw the largest decrease in the top ten.

Training is one of the easiest ways to ensure OSHA compliance on the job site. More than that, it empowers workers to take a vested interest in their own health and well being. Our online training options give added flexibility, allowing you and your team to take courses at a time and in a place that works best for you.